Jairam Thakur Accuses Government of Misleading Public on Excise Revenue

Shimla, Mar 31: Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur has accused the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government of misleading the public regarding excise revenue. He claimed that for the third consecutive year, the government’s assertion of achieving a 40% increase in revenue from the liquor policy has been proven false.

Thakur pointed out that several liquor vends across the state have remained unsold due to a lack of bidders, indicating flaws in the government’s policies. He alleged that there might be some hidden manipulations behind this situation. Thakur reminded that last year as well, the government falsely claimed a 40% revenue increase due to the new excise policy, but no such growth was achieved.

The opposition leader further stated that despite Chief Minister Sukhu’s repeated claims of increased revenue, the actual excise collection for the past financial year recorded only a 5% increase over three quarters. He accused the government of being controlled by the liquor mafia, which is why liquor auctions are failing to generate expected revenues.

Thakur also highlighted that even on the last day of liquor auctions, several units remained unsold, forcing the government to settle for reserve prices. Reports suggest that in some districts, there was no interest in bidding, while in others, bids were placed below the reserve price, causing significant revenue losses. He urged the government to stop misleading the public and to address the flaws in its excise policy.